Trust Is Earned
by Silent-Writer83
Summary: When Chancellor Paige order's Meraya to be thrown into the Scorch to die, an anomaly in her blood forces the scientist to save her. Given tools to survive, and instructions to find her friends, Meraya battles the desert, a town full of cranks, and the many Variable WICKED keeps throwing at them. - sequel to Trust No One Review's Welcome!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Meraya awoke to a gloved hand covering her mouth. Her eyes popped open, looking around frantically as more hands seemed to come out of the darkness and hold her down. She could feel her heart race as she kicked her feet, trying to free herself unsuccessfully. The room seemed to a void of darkness. Meraya couldn't see a thing and it terrified her. She couldn't even see the bottom of the bunk above here, only six inches away from her face.

Then the hands began to drag her. Meraya kicked, wriggled, arched, everything she could think of to get free. It was like a wild animal being taken into captivity. On instinct, Meraya's mind reached for Thomas' he was her only hope, the only one who could help her...if he could hear her.

 _Thomas! Thomas wake up! Someone's here and they're taking me. I need you, please wake up!_ Meraya's mind was frantic, reaching for Thomas but she was met with emptiness. It was strange, even when he wouldn't answer she would feel him there and now there was nothing.

Still tirelessly fighting there grip, Meraya was able to free herself of the hand over her mouth. She felt the bed lift away from beneath her and she took her only opportunity, her only real hope now, the one person Meraya could possibly say she despised, "Teresa! Help me!" Meraya's voice called out into the darkness, fading into nothing. The gloved hand reclaimed her lips, silencing her once more. Despair filled her heart as Meraya realized there would be no help, there was no one there to save her.

Distracted by her sudden realization, her captors took this opportunity to prick her with a small needle. The effect was nearly instantaneous as Meraya felt her limbs turn to stone, too heavy to move, and her eyes unable to stay open. Before long, Meraya was plunged into darkness.

Thomas slept soundly, unprepared for what he would be waking up to. The faint sounds of screaming and panic began to filter through his ears in the early morning. He groaned, tossing his head a bit before settling back down. It wasn't until strong hands grabbed his shoulders and started shaking, did Thomas fully awaken. Thomas jolted awake to come face to face with Minho. "...wake up!" The end of his sentence filtered into Thomas' fogged mind as the teen began to look around. The other gladers were in a state of panic, huddled at one end of the dormitory. On the other, barred by windows, were two people, at least Thomas thought they might be people, screaming at them, dangling from the metal barred windows. Their skin was red and patchy, covered in sickening blisters. Their hair, or more likely their remnants of, were sticking out from beneath peeling, bloody skin. The thing closest to Thomas had wild, bloodshot eyes with a slit in his cheek exposing bloody teeth. Thomas would never forget that man's terrible visage for the rest of his life.

Thomas saw the man's mouth moving, the words coming a moment later. "I'm a crank! I'm a bloody crank!" Minho hauled Thomas out of bed as the gladers huddled by the door. They tried to open the door to the outside but it was locked, and soon they found the same to be true for the bathroom door. Newt stepped forward, headache forming from the cranks in the window and the gladers panicked shouting. He found a fire extinguisher encased in glass. Throwing his fist forward, shattering the casing, Newt pulled the metal canister from the wall and handed it to Minho. It took a few blows but the lock clanked to the ground, the door swinging outwards a few inches. The gladers paused, staring out into the sliver of pitch blackness awaiting them outside.

Meraya's body was placed on a metal table as men and women dressed in white loomed over her. Her eyes were closed, body forced into a paralytic coma via injection. Monitors beeped around the room, tracking her vitals as her chest rose and fell at a pace just fast enough to keep her alive. The men and women in lab coats had masks covering their faces, clipboards in hand. They seemed to be in a heated debate, unsure what they should do with the girl. They had found an anomaly in her blood, something they were never expecting to show up. Chancellor Paige had been very clear about what she wanted done with the girl who was never supposed to escape the maze. "Throw her into the Scorch." Her voice had been crisp, clear, and cold as ice, but the doctors couldn't do that, not when they'd found what they'd found.

"We have to leave her there if we want to live." a woman's voice, curt and matter-of-fact spoke.  
"We can not let her die. Not with what we have found!" a man's voice seethed.

"I'm not saying let her die. But she must go out there." the woman spoke again, much calmer than the male. There was a slight pause as they scientists mulled over the woman's reasoning. A collective "ahhhh," could be heard as they all came to the same understanding.

Thomas stepped through the darkness of the dining area that had given them so much hope only the night before. A few time he ran into something solid, causing it to sway back and forth in the darkness. Each time it made his stomach churn knowing whatever it was, it couldn't be good. "Found the lights!" Newt's voice rung out in the dark. Thomas squinted against the bright lights, letting his eyes adjust. For the second time in the last five minutes Thomas wished they'd never come here. Above them were the lifeless bodies of their saviors. Ropes cut into purple skin as their bodies swung slowly from the ceiling. Tongues lolled out of mouths and eyes bulged out of sockets as they swayed. A rancid smell suddenly filled the room causing some gladers to turn and empty the contents of their stomachs on the floor, others stared unable to tear their eyes away, and others shielded their eyes from the gory sight.

Thomas looked around the room. There were no exits only the door to Teresa and Meraya's room. Thomas' stomach dropped as he sped forward, worry beginning to overcome his fear and disgust. Thomas shook the handle to the girls room, unable to open the door. Minho brought up the extinguisher once more, smashing the door handle clean off. Newt pushed his way between the boys, rushing into the room, Thomas following close behind. His stomach dropped as he saw both beds empty, sheets in disarray. The sound of a flushing toilet calmed his nerves as he realized the girls must be in the bathroom.

The other gladers filed into the room, looking around for the girls from the glade. The door lock clicked, Newt and Thomas taking a step forward, but the person who came out of the bathroom wasn't Teresa or Meraya, it wasn't even a girl!

The scientists checked Meraya's vitals and were pleased with what they found. She was moderately healthy, although lacking a few key nutrients here and there. It would take a few days before she was fully healthy again and then they would place her in the Scorch, much to their chagrin.

Aris stepped out of the bathroom only to be met with the confused faces of a room full of boys. He was sure his own face looked just as confused since he had never met any of these boys once in his life. Aris froze, hand on the doorknob, one foot out of the door as looks were exchanged between the boys.

"Who the shuck are you?" came from his left and Aris turned his head to be met with a tall, muscular asian boy. He gulped staring at the intimidating teen but stood his ground.  
"Well who are you?" Aris shot back, face changing from confused to guarded. Thomas stood, anger clearly written on his face.

"There's twenty of us and one of you so I'd say you answer his question." he hissed glaring at the boy. Aris frowned slightly, brow creasing with worry but folded. He knew when he was beat.

"Okay fine, I came from the maze."

There was a long silence after Aris spoke, disbelief on every gladers face.

"That can't be true. WE came from the maze." Newt insisted. Aris shook his head and held his hands up in surrender. "Look, I'm telling you the truth. We came from a maze. Big stone walls, nice little place to live in, doors closed every night." Minho glared, not believing a word this kid said. "Yeah right." Aris huffed getting frustrated. "Look, I don't know who you are but me and my friends came from a maze a few days ago okay. We had to fight through these god awful mechanical...things! And when we got out we were taken to a bunker. Last night the guys who took us said I had to sleep alone, you know, since I'm a guy and everything and when I woke up I was here and now I have a bunch of random guys yelling at me for something I don't even know what!" Aris breathed heavily once his rant was over, chest heaving, eyes moving around to gauge the other boys reactions.

Thomas folded his arms, relaxing his posture slighting. He had a frown set in his features as he studied the boys face, he looked terrified. With a soft groan, Thomas let his arms fall to his sides. "He's telling the truth." All eyes were on Thomas. "Look at him, he's just as confused as we are. He doesn't know anything." Newt glanced between the boy and Thomas, then sighed. Thomas was right. Minho was a little less forgiving but decided to keep quiet. He would keep an eye on the kid though. "So what now?" a voice piped up from somewhere in the crowd. Before anyone could answer, a blaring horn sounded throughout the dormitory. Thomas' hands flew up to cover his ears, wincing at the noise. They gladers looked around in confusion. It was the same horn as the greenie box from back in the maze. Minho went for the door, trying to open it but it didn't budge, even with the broken handle. When the horn died down, the door opened with a soft click, swinging open slowly to reveal a pitch black room.

Newt stepped forward, peering out into the darkness. No one wanted to go first as they all waited with bated breath for someone to volunteer. Newt glanced back at Thomas and then out into the void. He took a cautious step forward, one hand on the wall to track his movements. The farther he moved from the door, the darker it got. His hand skimmed the smooth surface of the wall until he felt the cool plastic of the light switch. "Found the lights!" Newt called before he switched them on, shining bright lights illuminating the open room. The gladers filtered out slowly, looking around. "Anyone notice anything different?" Newt mused sarcastically. Thomas glanced around and realized it first. "The bodies are gone." He whispered. "And the cranks ain't yellin' no more," another voice added. A few gladers ran to the room and sure enough, the windows where the cranks once hung were covered with bricks. "Impossible!" someone breathed. "What kind of shucked place is this." Minho grunted, arms folded over his broad chest. "So what now?" someone finally asked the real question. All eyes turned to Newt, who'd been Alby's second in command for two years. Newt opened his mouth and then shut it. His brow creased as he realized there was only one thing they could do...wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Meraya gasped, throwing her body up into a sitting position. Her heart went from barely beating to racing in seconds as the paralytic she'd been given wore off. Her throat burned with thirst, skin clammy with sweat and covered in sand. _Sand?_ Meraya spun around and was met with sand. Sand beneath her, sand in front of her, sand to her left, to the right...everywhere. She scrambled to her feat, heart pounding with fear. _Where the hell am I?_ Meraya licked her dry lips, spitting in disgust as she felt they too were covered in sand. Meraya looked around, spinning in a circle as an ungodly heat bore down on her. She looked up, barely able to open her eyes at the bright sun shining alone in the sky. No clouds, no wind, no nothing, just sand and heat.

Meraya fell to her knees, her chest feeling tight. She gasped for air but it felt like she wasn't getting any. She leaned forward, fists sinking in the sand as she fought to controlled her breathing. Meraya's throat constricted as she shut her eyes as tight as she could. _Calm down. Meraya. Calm. Down._ She coached herself. Meraya shouted angrily, punching the ground, hissing in pain as soon as she did. Cradling her now injured fist to her chest, Meraya used her left hand to shift the sand. Just beneath the surface was a metal box. Excitement took over as Meraya uncovered the rest of it. The metal box was about two feet long, a foot deep, and six inches wide. When Meraya reached for the lock, it popped open, releasing steam as the cool air from inside met the boiling atmosphere of the desert.

Meraya couldn't believe what she saw. Inside was a utility belt with three full water flasks, two hunting knives, a thermal bag to sleep in at night, and food! Meraya stared dumbfounded at the contents of the box. She looked up to the sky, as if whoever had given her this gift would fly above her so she could thank them. A smile broke out onto her face, as Meraya half laughed, half gasped at her luck. Quickly, she strapped on the utility belt around her waist, letting it rest on her curvy hips. Beneath that were a pair of tinted goggles and a compass. A note sat beneath these two things, big bold lettering contrasting with the crisp white of the page:

 **They sentenced you to die. We couldn't allow that. You may hold the key to saving**

 **humanity. Here we have given you tools to survive. Head north until you find your**

 **the others. DO NOT STOP.**

 **anonymous**

Meraya held the page with shaking hands. Someone in WICKED wanted her dead, that much was clear. But, who were these people that decided to save her, and more importantly, what happened to the other gladers. Thomas and Newt's faces flashed into her mind and her heart filled with pain. She prayed they were okay as she crumpled up the paper and grabbed the compass. Meraya strapped the goggles on, letting them lay on her forehead for now before heading north like the paper said. She couldn't waste any time, not when the fate of the two most important people in her life was so uncertain.

Meraya stood uneasily, the sand shifting beneath her feet. She held the compass up, the needle flying around before settling to her left. Meraya turned slowly, until the needle lined up with the Northern marking on her compass. Looking up, Meraya heaved a sigh as she headed north. She really hoped that note was true or else she'd be wandering the desert until she died. Meraya shoved that thought from her mind and took her first steps north. "This better work," she mumbled softly.

* * *

Thomas lay in his bed, eyes lazily drifting closed. It had been three days since they went missing. Three days worrying. Three nights sleepless. Three days starving, waiting for the first shipment of food to arrive. The other gladers were in similar states. The only thing they had was water, and it seemed make the gnawing beast of hunger only stronger with each sip. Thomas reached out once more, _Teresa... Meraya..._

Again, Thomas was met with emptiness. He couldn't even feel them and that was just utterly terrifying. They could be anywhere by now. His hand drifted lazily to his shoulder. A few days prior, when they'd found Aris, they also found they'd been tattooed in their sleep. A soft grin flickered across his lips. Imagine, a whole tattoo without feeling? WICKED's technology must be pretty advanced. Thomas' hand fell to his side, he still had no idea what his said. Newt knew though, and judging by his face, it wasn't good. Thomas felt his eyes fall closed but couldn't find the energy to open them. Soft snores emitted from his as his body shut down despite the hunger that clawed at his stomach.

Thomas felt his body moving, frowning at whoever was attempting to wake him. He didn't want to wake and deal with the hunger. Groaning, Thomas cracked an eye and met the vibrant red, glistening surface of an apple. His mouth watered as the light flecks of green shown in the light. "Eat it." Minho's voice drifted to Thomas' ears. His eyes snapped up seeing his friend taking large bite from his own apple with a crisp snap of the fruit. Minho shoved the fruit into Thomas' face, insisting he take it. Thomas didn't need anymore convincing. He grabbed the fruit, sinking his teeth into its flesh. He moaned in pleasure as the juice from the apple coated his mouth. He'd never tasted something so delicious in his whole life.

"Where'd you get this?" Thomas asked with a mouth full of chewed apple.  
"C'mon, i'll show you." Minho nodded towards the open door. Thomas swallowed his first bite, taking another as he stood. He followed Minho out into the empty room, coming face to face with a large pile of fruits, vegetables, and granola bars. The next thing to grab Thomas' attention was the strange, rat-faced man sitting at a wooden desk. Thomas turned to Minho, with a confused face.

"Showed up with the food. Hasn't spoken at all, just has his shuck face buried in that paper." Minho answered Thomas' silent question. The boys turned to the man who paid them no mind. Thomas frowned, but took Minho's word for it and grabbed more fruit, eating as fast as he could.

"You might wanna slow down. Don't wanna end up like the other. Ate too much and couldn't keep it down," Minho chuckled, slapping Thoms on the back.

* * *

Meraya trudged through the blistering heat. She pulled down the goggles to protect her eyes from the bright sun. Every now a breeze would come, doing nothing to cool her hot skin, only kicking up the sand to irritate her eyes. Meraya's throat burned with thirst and her lips were getting dry from the unruly heat. She glanced down at her compass and then up at the direction she was heading. She heaved a sigh, all she saw was sand. Just sand everywhere. It was overwhelming how barren her surroundings were. Is this what happened to the Earth? Meraya really wished she remembered.

Her feet moved one at a time, struggling to keep going. She was so tired. Meraya tucked the compass into her pocket, keeping a straight line as she walked. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky, something she was so grateful for. Meraya wanted to cover as much ground as possible before stopping. She had to, she refused to be out in this horrid expanse of sand for longer than she had to.

The sun sank behind the sandy hills to Meraya's left. She sighed, sinking into the sand herself, and pausing to take a break. She wasn't sure how far she'd come but it felt like miles. She took out her flask of water, taking a swing and capping it. Meraya held the cool water in her mouth before swallowing, soothing the scratching at the back of her throat. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. _Thomas?..._

Meraya heaved a sigh when no answer came. Her eyes burned with tears as they welled in the corners of her eyes. She took a shaky breath, forcing the tears to stay. She wouldn't cry. She wasn't weak. She had made it through the maze and escaped! But this was different, she was completely alone and it was terrifying. Despite her best efforts, Meraya felt the warm tears drip down her cheeks. Her chest heaved as a sob rocked her body. Burying her face in her arms, Meraya let out everything she'd been holding in all this time. All of the pain, fear, worry, regret, heartache, confusion, and loss that Meraya had buried deep down all came crashing down on her. Meraya screamed, punching the ground beneath her, letting out all of her frustrations. "WHY!" The sobs wracked her body as her fist slammed into the earth over and over again. "GOD WHY US?!" Tiring, Meraya's punches slowed, and her sobs turned into feeble hiccups. She collapsed onto her side, curling up into the fetal position, exhaustion taking over as she fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

"You are a part of tests. Years ago, the sun flares scorched the earth, turning most of it into a barren wasteland. A disease then broke out that tears apart a human's mind until they are monsters. You, however are being tested by WICKED, a foundation set up by the remnants of the world's leading governments, to find a cure. You have all been injected with the virus. You must make your way a hundred yards north, through the scorch, where you will find the safe haven. If and when you arrive, you will be taken to WICKED headquarters and there we will find the cure. If you make it, this will be the end of the trials. At six am, the flat trans will open, you will walk through it. It will close at six o'five am. If you do not choose to go through the flat trans then...let's just say you go through the flat trans."The rat-faced man smirked, folding his paper into a neat square and laying it on his lap. Thomas stared, speechless. Whoever this man was, Thomas didn't like him. There was something sneaky about him, like he wasn't telling them the whole truth. Before any glader could shoot off a question, a fog rolled out, hiding the figure of the rat man. When it cleared, the man was gone.

Minho was the first to speak, living up to his markings as the leader. "Guess that means we should pack up. Figure out how to get food and water with us." The gladers got to work, tying up the mountain of food left for them in the bed sheets. There were exactly double the water bottles for every glader present, plus Aris. Once the preparations were done, the gladers sat in the main room. Minho sighed and stood. "Let's get some sleep. We got an early morning." There was general agreement and Thomas found his way into bed. His eyes drifted closed and soon he was dead asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Meraya awoke a few hours later. There was a light dusting of sand covering her, which she easily wiped away. Sitting up, Meraya took another swig of water before standing. She pulled the compass from her pocket, reoriented towards north, and began her journey once more. Her body was exhausted from the onslaught of emotion just hours before, but she pushed on. As she walked, Meraya began to hum a soft tune. She wasn't sure where or when she had heard it but it felt ingrained into her memory. She assumed she must have heard it in her past life. Meraya cracked a smile at that, as if she had died and been reborn. In a sense she sort of did, they all had. None of them knew anything of their past lives, well those who didn't go through the changing. A sigh escaped Meraya's chapped lips. She wondered what life was like before the glade, what she was like. Meraya was wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't noticed the looming buildings appearing over the horizon. Five minutes past before her eyes focused on the red outline of crumbling buildings. Meraya paused, stopping dead in her tracks. It couldn't be real, right? A city out here in the middle of the desert in this horrible heat? Excitement bubbled in Meraya's throat as a laugh burst from her lips. "Oh my god!" Meraya pocketed the compass and picked up her pace, beginning to jog towards the city. It was still a few miles away but the excitement was too much. The idea of seeing her friends again, healthy, pushed her further and faster.

As Meraya jogged forward, figures began to appear over a hill in front of her. At first, Meraya sped up, but as she got closer, the way the figures were moving were strange. Their movements were choppy and staggered. Groans floated over to her and Meraya slowed. The figures moved closer and the noises became louder and the movements were clearly distorted. Meraya looked around her, not sure why, there was nothing there to protect her. She gulped as the figures moved ever closer and her time was running out. Meraya steadied her breathing, heart beating fast from running and fear. Her right hand gripped one of the hunting knives strapped in her belt as she braced herself for a fight. Meraya swallowed and moved forward, meeting the creatures. They looked horrid. Meraya felt her stomach churn at the sight of their burnt faces with blisters filled with pus and festering wounds scattering their bodies. The first creature lashed out, scratching her shoulder as it screamed, creating the most inhuman, deranged noise Meraya had ever heard. Fear shot down her spine, raising goosebumps on her arms despite the intense heat of the desert. She quickly brought out her hunting knife, jabbing it into the being stomach. The other two caught up quickly, surging forward as Meraya shoved the thing off of her knife. Her serrated blade was covered in thick crimson blood that glistened in the light.

Captivated by the blood on her knife, and having taken her first life, Meraya was shot back to her nightmarish reality as she was tackled to the ground by a heap of screaming, bleeding creature. The woman, at least she thought it was one, on top of her snapped her teeth at Meraya's jugular. It took all of her strength to keep the decaying woman away from her neck, one hand pushing at the woman's forehead, the other at her collar. Meraya grunted as she shoved with all of her strength, sending the woman above her crumpling to the ground. Panting, Meraya rolled on top of the woman, holding her knife high above her head. A hand grasped Meraya's calf, yanking, dragging her off the woman. Meraya screamed, dropping her knife. She felt teeth sink into the flesh of her calf, a pain-filled scream tearing from her throat. Meraya craned her neck to see a man with red swollen eyes, cracked skin, and bleeding lips with his teeth in her leg. Adrenaline coursed through her body as Meraya lifted her free leg. "Get. The. Fuck. Off. ME!" She punctuated each word with a hard kick to the man's face, a sickening crack echoing in the desert with her last words as the man's head snapped to a strange angle, breaking it.

"MURDERER!" Meraya rolled quickly, feeling her knife stab the ground where she'd previously lain just moments before. The woman who had jumped her was back and wielding Meraya's knife. She followed the teen, stabbing at her repeatedly, missing by mere centimeters each time. Meraya flipped to her back, swinging out her uninjured leg, kicking her knife free from the crazed woman's hands. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as she raced the woman to her knife. Meraya nearly breathed a sigh of relief as her fingers wrapped around the rubber handle of the blade. She lashed out, slicing at the deranged woman, missing just by a few inches. Meraya struggled to her feet, the searing pain in her right leg nearly making her crumble into a heap. Blood oozed from her wound, warm against her skin, burning painfully with each movement. Sand coated her from head to toe, sticking to her sweaty skin. Meraya panted heavily as the woman stood across from her, panting as well. There was a moment of calm as the two women eyed each other. The silence was broken by a battle cry and they ran at each other.

The woman clawed as Meraya, finding opening to scratch at her eyes and face. Meraya blocked as well as she could with her left arm. She ducked a swipe from the woman, lunging at her from her crouched position and tackling her to the ground. Meraya held down the woman with her left hand, balling her right hand into a fist, landing hard punching to the woman's cheek over and over. Each punch landed with a wet thunk into the woman's cheek. After a few blows there was a crack, but Meraya didn't stop. She was taken over by adrenaline and fear and just kept punching. Screaming echoed in her ears, not realizing it was her own pained and terrified screams. Her vision blurred with tears that burned her eyes as her blows slowed. Sniffling, Meraya staggered to her feet, each movement forcing blood to cascade once again from the injury in her calf. Breathing heavily as tears cascaded down her cheeks, Meraya stared down at the three bodies and felt nothing. Meraya turned to look at the broken city only a day's walk away. There was no doubt in her mind that was where these things had come from. A cool breeze swept through the desert, the only seemingly normal thing to come from the hell hole she was dumped into.


	4. Chapter 4

Meraya wiped her bloody knife off on her pants and used it to cut a strip from her shirt. After dousing it in water, she wrapped it around her calf, hissing at the feeling of the fabric on her open wound. She sheathed the knife into it's holster and looked towards the city. There was no way she could sleep after what she just went through so her only option was to push on. The sun was now setting and, for just a few hours, Meraya was saved from the desperate heat of the desert.

* * *

The gladers stared at the same wall that the rat man had sat only a day before. At exactly six in the morning the wall shifted from its dull white paint to a shimmering gray substance. The gladers traded looks as Minho stepped forward. Being labeled leader, he took the first steps, Thomas and Newt left to bring in the rear and make sure everyone came in.

Thomas watched as, one by one, the gladers disappeared through the shimmering grey. In just a few minutes only Newt, Aris and Thomas were left. Newt stepped through with a weak smile. Thomas knew what he was thinking, would they find their missing friends out there in the Scorch. Thomas prayed they would. Aris glanced back at Thomas, chewing his lower lip. _We'll find them._ Thomas' eyes widened as Aris stepped through the portal, his voice fading from Thomas' mind. There was no way. There couldn't be more like him and the girls could they? Thomas didn't have time to contemplate it as he stepped through the portal, bumping into a body almost as soon as he did.

"Everyone in?" Minho's voice called back. Thomas answered in the affirmative and the group began to move. Thankfully, they were all in pretty good shape. There were some straglers as always but that was to be expected. Thomas moved through the crowd, easily finding his way towards the front by his friends. The jog was silent, in complete darkness. Even after his eyes adjusted, Thomas could still barely see a few inches in front of him. Nothing was heard other than the gladers heavy breathing and the sound of their shoes slapping concrete. Thomas let his mind go blank as he moved through the corridor, it was easier that way. It hurt too much to think about Teresa or Meraya. He couldn't help but think of the name he'd seen outside of the room, _The Betrayer._ It didn't specify which girl it was, but Thomas couldn't fathom it being either one. It just couldn't. It had to be another one of WICKED's lies.

A soft whisper caught Thomas' attention, dragging him out of his inner turmoil. The gladers seemed to have heard it as well, as they all began to gradually slow. _Go back._ The soft whisper was more distinct now. Thomas could tell that it was an older man's voice. He sounded raspy and withered, like he hadn't spoken in years. _Go back now and you may live._ Thomas swallowed nervously as the gladers shuffled their feet. _Go back._.. The voice trailed off into the darkness. An awkward silence hanging inside the tunnel. "Anyone want to head back?" Minho asked only to be met with silence. "Alright then." The gladers didn't need anymore convincing as they, once again, picked up their pace and jogged through the darkness of the tunnel.

* * *

They had been running for about an hour. Thomas could feel the sweat drip down his face, making his clothes stick uncomfortably to his body. His throat burned with the need to drink water but he didn't stop. That's when it happened. A scream tore out of the darkness. It was one of the galders. Chaos broke out as everyone surged forward, sprinting. Thomas, heart racing with fear for what felt like the thousandth time since waking inside the glade, Thomas pushed through the fleeing boys towards the screams. Unable to see what was going on, he reached out. He felt the boy screaming and writhing beneath his hands, before he collapsed to the ground. Thomas heard a metal clunk and the screams stopped. The sound of metal rolling against stone faded within seconds as Thomas reached forwards. When he went for the head, horror struck him. His hands felt nothing. There was nothing there. "What happened?" Newt's voice echoed in the silence. Thomas swallowed as his throat had gone dry at his revelation. "His head," he rasped, "his head is gone." Thomas looked up to where he knew the gladers were huddled together. "Let's move." Minho's voice sounded, although this time, it was laced with a somberness that was so unlike him. Thomas nodded and stood, joining the other boys. As they picked up their run once again, Thomas glanced over his shoulder at the body. He felt so sorry for the boy, but realized, he didn't know many of the boys he was now fleeing with. He knew nearly none of them.

* * *

Newt was in the middle of the gladers. It was hard for him to run on account of his injury. Shame filled him as he thought back to the day. He was ashamed that he had failed, but he shook the thought from his mind. He couldn't be filled with self pity now. Not when his best friend was somewhere out in this god forsaken land without anyone. Newt prayed silently that Meraya was alive and safe. His stomach dropped as the rat man's words rang in his mind. "The Flare," a disease that destroyed the mind. Knowing she was out there with those people, and vulnerable to this sickness drove him mad. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up and protect her. THat's all he ever wanted, was to keep her safe and he'd failed.

Newt stumbled in his steps as the weight of their situation toppled over his shoulders. Meraya was out in the Scorch without any idea of what was out there, possibly with no food or water. He, along with the gladers, had just been sent on a mission to find some safe haven out in the middle of a crank invested desert with nothing more than a few sacks of vegetables and a couple bottles of water. They weren't even given a compass to find north. He knew there would be obstacles, it was WICKED after all. Nothing was ever as easy at it was made to seem. Newt swallowed, knowing that they all wouldn't make it through this round. It was a test and there had to be those that failed, and that terrified him to no end.


	5. Chapter 5

Meraya panted softly as she stumbled through the desert, eyes settled on the dilapidated buildings ahead of her. Her leg had gone numb hours ago and a cold sweat had broken out across her body. Her tongue darted out to wet her dry cracked lips. Meraya pulled a water flask from her hip, guzzling down the cool liquid. God was she thankful for whomever had given her that treasure. She would have been long dead without it.

With shaking hands, Meraya pulled the compass from her pocket. It was trained on north and she pocketed it quickly. Coughing, Meraya spit into the dirt as she kept moving. Tiny dots of blood could be found leading from the dead crank corpses to Meraya's stumbling form in the desert. She was just a few hundred yards out. She could make it, she had to make it. Her vision was getting worse, as she found herself unable to focus on the buildings. Her skin was pale and tight against her bones. Dark circles had formed beneath her lids.

Meraya stumbled, falling to her knees. Leaning onto her hands, Meraya struggled to breath. She could see the buildings clearly now. She could see the doors, the ragged fabric covering the windows floating in the breeze, the broken glass and boarded entries. She was so close it pained her. Meraya shook with the effort of standing, legs barely able to hold her weight. She took two steps forward before she collapsed again, she had lost so much blood from the bite in her leg. Meraya panted softly, staring at the city before her. It seemed to vibrate as she stared and then...it was blackness.

* * *

Two figures jogged away from the city. They were wrapped beneath layers of ragged clothing. The only thing visible were the cracked skin of their hands. The two people jogged to the crumpled heap of a teen girl. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. Her skin was pale and a crude bandage, clearly made from her ripped shirt, was wrapped around a wound. The fabric was drenched with her blood. One of the masked figures sighed heavily. "We can't leave her out here." The voice was distinctly male, older. The other figure crossed their arms with an audible sigh. "Why?" It was a female voice, clearly not keen on the idea of carrying this girl the quarter mile back to their hideout. "I said so, now pick her up." The male spoke and bent down. The female figure could be heard grumbling under her breath but bent down nonetheless. They lifted the girl, one figure holding her beneath her shoulders, the other gripped her thighs.

* * *

Meraya groaned, her head throbbing. Her stomach churned unnaturally. Flipping to the side, Meraya emptied the contents of her stomach into a metal bin, coughing afterwards. She wiped her lips, the sour aftertaste of bile in her mouth. She slowly rolled onto her back, feeling soft sheets instead of rough sand. Her brow furrowed as she forced one eye to open. Instead of being met with the blinding light of the sun, Meraya was met with a black ceiling with sheer purple and emerald green sheets hanging around her. This was most definitely not where she had passed out. Struggling to sit up, Meraya held her head in her hands with a soft moan. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. "She's awake." Meraya's head snapped to the left where a feminine voice could be heard. She moved to stand, gasping in pain and falling back onto the bed. Meraya pulled back the sheets to find her leg with a proper bandage around her calf. "What the.." She mumbled softly.

"Glad to see you're awake," a male voice said kindly. Meraya looked up to be met with the face of an older man. He looked to be of Hispanic or Latino descent. His skin was closer to brown, tanned by the bright sunlight and his dark hair showed light hints of grey here and there. Meraya frowned, not trusting this stranger one bit. The man smiled, impressed with the teen's reaction. "You don't trust me I see, I guess that could be seen as a good thing now wouldn't it." he chuckled. Meraya eyed the man suspiciously, he was strange that was for sure. "I'm Jorge, that spitfire there is Brenda" he introduced. Meraya glanced towards where he was pointing. The girl standing there was about Meraya's age, lightly tanned skin much like her own, and short black cropped hair. She wore an untrusting scowl that Meraya most likely mirror. Her attention was pulled back to Jorge who was chuckling. "You two look like you could be sisters." He said, hands on hips and shaking his head amused. "As if." the two girls scoffed in unison, glaring at each other afterwards.


	6. Chapter 6

They had made it to the end of the tunnel. There were stairs leading upwards and no glader hesitated in their ascent. They slowed as Minho and Newt paused at the top. Minho lifted his hand, finding scorching metal above him. Bracing both hands on the hot door, Minho used all of his strength to hoist the door open. The gladers groaned, eyes forced to adjust to the harsh light too quickly. Thomas looked away, squeezing his eyes shut. An unbearable heat ebbed through the tunnel and Minho shut the door with a heavy thud. He panted softly with the effort it took to hold it open. A few gladers stepped forward and with a grunt, they hoisted the door wide open, this time the light wasn't so painful on their eyes. As they waited to adjust to the new hot climate and blazing sun, the gladers opened their sacks, ate and drank.

"What's that?" a boy Thomas was sure he had never even met asked. To their right, a liquid metal drop dripped from somewhere on the ceiling. The gladers watched in silence as it hung in the air, slowly detaching itself from the ceiling. It floated through the air, forming to a ball before shooting off. It's unfortunate victim, the Keeper of the Slicers, Winston. At first, he was silent, shocked by the molten metal ball that had attached itself to the top of his head, then, the screaming started. Always the hero, Thomas ran forward as Winston, fighting to keep this blob from sliding over his eyes, tumbled down the stairs. Thomas was able to catch him, screaming at the other gladers to do something. Thomas fought with Winston, trying to keep this thing from the boy's eyes. His screams were so full of terror they ripped at Thomas' heart. "Lift with me Winston!" Thomas yelled over the boys screaming. "One!...Two!...Three!" together, Winston and Thomas lifted at the same time and were able to slide the ball from the boys head, sending it skittering down the hall from where they had come. Thomas turned to Winston, and bile rose in his throat. The boys scalp was badly burned. Tufts of hair stuck out here and there between his bloody scalp. He whimpered and shook as the few med jacks who had survived the glade took over.

The gladers stood outside of the exit of the tunnel, staring out around them. There was nothing but sand. Winston was propped between two med jacks, moaning every now and then. Minho pointed due north. There was a city perhaps fifty or sixty yards ahead. Some wondered if that was the safe haven but Thomas doubted it. It, for starters, looked decayed and broken, nothing like what Rat Man had promised, and secondly, it was nowhere near the hundred yard travel distance Rat Man had told them to go with only a week to do so.

Without much choice, the gladers started off. They jogged forward, heading out into the Scorch. Thomas' mind drifted to Meraya, how angry she had been at him. It hurt to see her face when Minho had carried her around the corner. He didn't want to kiss Teresa, she just sort of did it. Thomas sighed, he missed her. He thought back to their kiss in the glade, how her lips felt against his. They were so soft, just the thought of it made his lips tingle with the memory of the sensation. It was hurried and slightly feverish but so honest and pure at the same time. It felt so natural and Thomas felt the urge to do it again. He promised himself to never let her get away from him again. Just when she had forgiven him, they took her, and for that Thomas would destroy WICKED.

Night came all too quickly on their first day. They ran for an hour or two past sunset before Minho called it quits for the night. The food was laid out and eaten to replenish their energy for the next day. Thomas used his now empty sheet to cover himself. He found it easy to fall asleep, staring up at the stars in the dark night sky.

Thomas was nudged awake by Newt's foot. The boy offered his hand, to which Thomas gratefully took and they set off once more. They two were quietly jogging for a while before Newt broke the silence. "You think she's okay?" He whispered. Thomas glanced at his friend, noting the dark circles and worry lines creasing his face. "Course she is. She's strong." Thomas said so sure of himself. Although he had the same worries, he knew Meraya would survive. She never went down without a fight. In their short time together, Thomas had learned that much about her at least.

The gladers ran for hours before they took their first break. With each step they took they got closer and closer to the city; with each step they got closer and closer to finding Meraya and Teresa, and with each step Thomas and Newt worried a little less. He could feel it. Newt could feel that Meraya was there waiting for them. It was just this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he knew that she was safe there.

* * *

Meraya sat in the bed she had woken up in just the day prior. Jorge had ordered Brenda to take care of her, something Meraya knew she did begrudgingly. On a few occasions she had tried to talk to the other girl, only receiving grunts in reply or a rolling of the eyes. After a few tries, Meraya just decided to stick with thank you's when Brenda changed a bandage or gave her food. Despite her harsh attitude, Brenda was gentle with her so Meraya could only dislike her so much.

Right now, Meraya sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a pair of cargo shorts, a cut off shirt and a jean vest. Thick, black combat boots were tied around her feet, grey socks sticking out of the tops, stopping halfway up her calves, hiding most of the bandage that covered from her ankle to her knee. Meraya's curly hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. She stared down at the floor, wondering about what her friends were doing. She prayed they weren't out here in the Scorch, Jorge had filled her in on what had happened to the world. Meraya was horrified to learn about the Flare. Jorge had told her all about the city, how it was basically a dumping ground for the cranks to go insane and die in. It was disgusting that this is what WICKED and other world leaders allowed to happen to the world. You couldn't even die with dignity any longer. You just turned into a monster, went insane, and starved to death out here.

Meraya heaved a sigh, hoisting herself up. She bit back a moan of pain, clenching her jaw tightly. She shifted her weight into her uninjured leg, taking deep breaths to distract her mind from the pain. It had gone down since the initial bite. Thankfully Brenda kept it from getting infected and cleaned it out properly. Now she just had to let it heal but sitting up here in what Meraya could only assume was a makeshift bedroom, wasn't what she wanted to do. She need to distract herself with things to do or else drive herself insane with worry.

* * *

Sorry for the delay on posting. School has been hectic and I finally got a chance to just sit and write. Hope you like it and as always, reviews welcome and appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

As they neared the city, a small hut appeared on the horizon. Thomas watched it curiously, wondering who, or what, would reside out in the middle of nowhere. It was at least a day's run away from the city, so whoever was in there was completely confined. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth, unless the city was indeed that dangerous.

That night, the wails began. They were distinctly female and caused a chill to run down Thomas' spine. They were wails of pain that reverberated through his skull. The screams echoed around the Scorch, seemingly coming from every direction. It was a haunting scenario that Thomas found very hard to sleep through. The screams continued through the night, haunting the gladers dreams.

* * *

Thomas stared up at the night sky, counting the stars as the wailing continued. Laying on his back, with his hands tucked behind his head, Thomas looked towards the shack. Curiosity had always been his downfall. That explained why, when the screams stopped only a few minutes later, Thomas stood, tiptoeing through the gladers, and headed towards the shack. As he neared, a female stepped out of the shadows of the tiny structure. Thomas' breath stuck in his throat as his hopes raised. _Meraya?!_ His heart beat heavily in his chest with anticipation. When no answer came, Thomas faltered in his steps. If it wasn't Meraya, who could it be.

As if the figure knew exactly what was on his mind, she stepped out of the shadows. Thomas stopped dead in his tracks as the moonlight lit up Teresa's face. He licked his dry lips, heart picking up once again. It had been her that was wailing all this time! Guilt ate at Thomas for not investigating sooner. Teresa nodded towards the door of the shanty before disappearing through it.

Thomas glanced back at the sleeping gladers, and then turned towards the building. He had to know where she had been. Why she hadn't been answering. With a shaky breath, Thomas moved forward towards Teresa. Thomas stepped through the dark opening, eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the pitch blackness of the windowless room. It smelled dry and aged, like it had been there for century or more.

"Thomas, I don't have a lot of time," Teresa gasped out. Thomas eyed her suspiciously. "Why? What's going on? Where have you been?" Thomas asked, stepping forwards. Teresa took a step back as tears welled in her eyes. "You have to trust me Thomas." Teresa spoke with a wavering voice. Her fear cut into his heart deeply. Thomas felt so bad for her, what had WICKED been doing to her in here? "Why, what's going on?" Thomas pressed. Teresa stepped forward, grabbing his hands. "No matter what happens Thomas, you have to trust me." Thomas stared into her eyes, thoroughly confused. "Do you trust me?" Teresa asked looking up into Thomas' eyes. He hadn't realized how close she had gotten until that moment. "Do you trust me Thomas?" Teresa repeated, inching closer and closer. "I..uh..I.." Thomas mumbled. Teresa had pressed herself against him, eyes pleading with him, her face centimeters from his own. "I..I trust you." Thomas whispered, although the truth of that statement was highly debatable. Teresa sighed in relief, a smile covered in her face. Her warm breath fanned over Thomas' face. Teresa wrapped her arms around Thomas' neck, connecting their lips in a searing kiss. In shock, Thomas didn't move at first. His mind stopped working once he felt her lips on his, but slowly, his body relaxed, eyes fluttering closed. Teresa smiled into the kiss as Thomas relaxed into it, her hands cupping his cheeks as their lips moved in sink.

Thomas panted softly as Teresa pulled back from the kiss. His eyes were lidded, cheeks flushed as he looked at Teresa confused. "I have to go." Teresa whispered, releasing Thomas from her hold. "What? No, Teresa." Thomas stumbled over his words as Teresa ushered him back outside.

Thomas stood back in the Scorch, the aged wooden door closed in front of him. He was so confused by what just happened that he didn't move for a good five minutes. His mind went over the kiss over and over again. His lips tingled from the sensation, but not in the same way as they did with Meraya. It was...wrong. There really wasn't another word for it. Thomas couldn't deny the fact that when he kissed Teresa his heart raced and his mind turned to mush but afterwards, he felt nothing but guilt. With Meraya, his stomach swirled and his knees went weak. The image of her betrayed expression after he had kissed Teresa the first time flashed into his memory, he couldn't let her find out about this.

Thomas returned to the sleeping gladers, taking a seat on the ground. He wrapped his sheet around his shoulders. Thomas starred up at the stars with a heavy sigh. Teresa said to trust her and that bad things were about to happen. Thomas wasn't sure if he could, not after she had been missing for so long, who knew what they did to her mind. Eventually, Thomas' eyes drifted closed and he found himself sleeping.

* * *

The next morning was a rough one. Thomas groaned as he forced himself awake at the first signs of light. None of the gladers knew he had left to speak to Teresa and he would like to keep it that way for now. Rolling his sheet back up, stuffing it with the little water and food that he had left, Thomas tied it off around his shoulders. He squinted out over the horizon towards the city. If all went well they could probably make it there by that night. Glancing over his shoulder where the hut stood just the night prior, Thomas was shaken to find that it was gone. Thomas turned in a slow circling, checking every vantage point he had for it. It could have been more than two yards away. His brow creased with worry, a frown forming on his lips.

"What's buggin you?" Newt's accented voice mumbled softly, worried eyes on his friend. Thomas tore his eyes away from the spot where the shack once stood and shook his head. "Nothing, just tired is all." Thomas said back forcing a smile. Newt eyed his friend but let it go. "Well let's go." Thomas said to break the silence that had fallen over the two, and to escape his friends curious gaze.

The boys set off at a light jog. There was a buzzing excitement in the air as they drew closer and closer to the city. No one knew what they would find, but anything seemed better than the vast emptiness of the Scorch. By mid-afternoon the wind had picked up significantly. The gladers held their arms up to shield their eyes from the sand that threatened to blind them. "Whoa!" Minho yelled, holding his right arm up signally the group to slow down. Thomas pushed through the forming crowd to Minho's side, Newt next to him as well. At their feet was an old man, laying on his back with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell so slowly that, at first, they had thought he was dead. Glancing at his friends, Minho knelt down beside the old man, shaking him gently. The old man was dressed in rags. His skin was leathery and tan with unruly grey hair and an unkempt beard to match. "Oi!" Newt called out nudging the old man with his toe when Minho's tactics didn't work. The old man's eyes flashed open and he grabbed Minho's wrist with surprising strength. The man's milky eyes stared straight up as his cracked lips parted to take in a deep breath.

"It's coming..." he rasped. "The storm..."

Minho looked up at the other gladers with an unnerved look. Thomas turned around to look at the sky. Behind them dark grey, almost black clouds rolled in. Lightning flashed every now and then as a deep rumble sounded. It was ominous for sure but the fear covering the elderly man's face told Thomas that it was no regular storm.

"Go! Run! RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" The old man gained a crazed feverishness to his voice as he scrambled to his feet. He looked as if he was barely able to stand on his thin legs, back hunched over as he ran away from the boys.

They all watched in silence as the man ran, Minho standing slowly rubbing his sore wrist. No one knew what he was talking about but they all felt the nervousness buzz around the group. "Keep moving." Minho mumbled, picking up his sack. Thomas glanced back at the clouds. They seemed to be advancing at an abnormally quick place and he felt his stomach twist with fear. They needed to move and fast.

The rain fell first, drenching Thomas and the other gladers from head to toe. The droplets were thick and hot. The thunder was what really shook Thomas to the core. He could feel the rumbling in his chest all the way down to his feet, causing him to stumble. His heart beat frantically as he glanced behind him. The lighting was only a few yards away and there was no way they would outrun it. Turning back to the front, Thomas saw they were only a few yards from the closest building.

The first bolt of lightening struck to Thomas' left, cracking through the air, right where a glader was running. It was like a bomb went off. A large crater was left in its wake, the fried body of one of the boys near the edge. The boy's mouth was hanging open as he screamed. Thomas faltered in his steps as he took in the scene straight from a horror movie. The boys clothes were evaporated by the lighting's heat, skin black from the burns, eyes burned out from the intense light of the bolt. Fear, greater than anything Thomas had felt thus far, punched him in the gut. All of a sudden he couldn't breath, fear squeezing his chest tightly. "THOMAS!" Minho's voice sounded so small in his ringing ears. Thomas felt himself being picked up and thrown towards the nearby buildings. Cracks of lightning rained down on the gladers, each one causing the ringing in his ears to worsen until there was nothing left to hear. Thomas sprinted as fast as he could, Minho leading the way. A giant bolt of lightening struck just in front of them, blowing Thomas a few feet back. Thomas' head smack against the sand causing his vision to swim. Thomas looked around dazed and spotted Minho. His body smoked, holes littering his clothes. Swallowing thickly, a metallic taste on his tongue, Thomas crawled to his injured friend, lifting his up and slinging one arm around his shoulders. Newt joined them, Thomas wasn't sure where he came from he was just thankful that his friends were alive. Lightning rained down like bullets all around them as they drug Minho through the hole in the wall of the building, the boy was barely conscious as they set him on the ground, assessing the damage down to their group. Out of the twenty survivors, barely ten were left. Thomas leaned against the wall, sliding down into a seated position. He hoped WICKED was happy with what they've done.


	8. Chapter 8

Meraya sat with Jorge, watching over the other inhabitants. Jorge was the leader here, although the power structure was highly unstable. According to Brenda, Jorge almost died two or three times to maintain his leadership here. While Meraya's leg healed, Jorge explicitly ordered her to stay in her room, however, he did allow her to follow him around the watch tower every so often.

Meraya yawned, rubbing her tired eyes. Nothing interesting was happening and watching the other occupants of the abandoned building mozy around was extremely boring. "Jeez. How do you do this all day." Meraya groaned, legs propped up on the makeshift desk in front of her. The haphazard way things were thrown together here reminded Meraya of the glade. She assumed that's why she felt so comfortable so quickly, and, as long as you didn't make him mad, Jorge was a pretty nice, fatherly guy. Jorge shot her a warning glance and Meraya sighed. She was beginning to get on his nerves, which usually happened after about an hour when she accompanied him to the watch tower.

Brenda stepped into the small room, knocking lightly on the door frame. After the second day, the girls warmed up to each other to where they could acknowledge each other without a heated glare. Jorge turned to Brenda, waving her in. "What's got you here?" he asked turning back to the large window in front of the trio. "Storm's comin" Brenda sighed. Meraya shot her a curious glance, not sure what was so bad about a little storm. Jorge stilled, a frown creasing his brow, storms were bad, very bad. "Alright, lock down. Meraya get to your room and don't come out until one of us comes for you." Jorge said with a stern voice. Meraya opened her mouth to ask what was all the fuss about, but the look on Jorge's face killed the words in her throat.

Meraya stood, glancing at Brenda and Jorge before turning and hobbling towards the room she had been given. Her limp was still very prevalent, although the pain had gone down considerably. In fact, Brenda had done a great job in stitching her up, Meraya was healing well.

As the first rumbles of thunder shook the tower, Meraya stepped into her room. She had a surge of butterflies in her stomach as she peered out between the wooden slats that covered her window. She gazed out over the vast expanse of Scorch. Dark clouds rolled in at a unusually quick pace. Meraya bit her lower lip as flashes of light struck in the distance, this didn't look like a regular storm. Unbeknownst to her, just out of her site, the gladers were running for their lives, and finding sanctuary in her very building.

* * *

Meraya waited in her room as the rain slammed against the building, thunder rumbling in the sky. Her hands balled up the sheets in her shaking fists, anxiety rising in her chest, restricting her breaths. This was the first storm she had ever experienced and it was terrifying to say the least.

Meraya closed her eyes, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Jorge's urgency to confine her to her room had concerned her, and now she new why. She took deep breaths to calm her frayed nerves, jumping at a particularly loud clap of thunder. After almost thirty minutes of this, Meraya had enough. She needed a distraction, so she resolved to take a walk.

Nodding to herself as reassurance, Meraya stood and headed to her doorway. Pulling back the thin curtain that was her "door," Meraya poked her head out and checked the hall. Seeing that the coast was clear, Meraya stepped out into the hallway. A loud crack of thunder sounded, causing Meraya to let out a loud yelp. She held a hand over her now racing heart, leaning heavily on the wall to her left. "Jesus christ." She mumbled as her heart rate slowed. "Stupid storm," Meraya sighed as she straightened up. Rolling her shoulders to relax her posture, Meraya headed down the hall.

The walk was working. Distracting herself by counting her steps, Meraya was able to mostly tune out the loud claps of thunder and the harsh pounding of the rain. Every now and then, during a particularly loud clap of thunder, Meraya would let out a yelp and her heart would race once more. So, she would stop again, leaning on a nearby wall until she was calm once more.

The sound of voices caught Meraya's attention. It was coming from down the hall to her right, and she caught the distinct voice of Jorge and...fighting? Meraya furrowed her brow and turned the corner. She limped down the hall as quickly as possible with her injured leg. A hiss of pain and shouting fueled Meraya to move more quickly. Just as she was about to round the corner silence fell and she froze. Just another step and she would be able to see who was there, but the silence that had fallen kept her at bay. She swallowed hard as the silence stretched onward, whatever was happening, it was intense.

"Ten minutes, just give me ten minutes." A voice pleaded, brave enough to break the silence. Meraya's eyes widened as her heart pounded hard in her chest. She knew that voice, but it couldn't be. They couldn't possible be here could they? The thought paralyzed her as her mind whirled around the idea.

Meraya took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. "Please be who I think you are." she whispered softly to herself. Meraya took a step to her left, revealing herself to the group a few yards away, but they didn't notice her at first. She opened her eyes to see the gladers surrounded by Jorge, Brenda, and all the other people living in the tower. Her stomach dropped at the sight, whatever happened was bad, very very bad. "Thomas?" her voice echoed off of the brick walls over to the crowd, who then all turned her


	9. Chapter 9

Thomas froze, ice running down his spine as he heard _her_ voice call out. His eyes went wide, heart speeding up to the speed of light. She couldn't be here, of all places could she? Slowly, Thomas turned and there she was. His voice caught in his throat and for a moment Thomas thought he was dreaming. She was just...standing there, eyes wide, holding back tears as a smile erupted across her face.

He choked out a laugh. It was just unbelievable. She was here. She was really here, and alive! The other gladers crowded around Thomas, pushing past the other infected men and women to see if it was true. "Meraya!" "She's alive guys!" "Thank god!" "Where have you been!" all rang out but to Thomas it was like they were trying to speak under water.

Thomas didn't realize he had moved at first. The voices of the gladers faded and it was just her there. His feet took tentative steps forward, afraid she might flee if he went too fast. His slow steps came quicker and quicker until Thomas was full on sprinting to Meraya. His heart raced and he prayed to God that this wasn't a trick of some kind.

* * *

Meraya lifted her hands over her mouth, not believing that this could happen. They were here, they were really here! Meraya was trembling as she felt the familiar burn of tears pricking her eyes. Thomas seemed to move in slow motion. She watched as he broke through the crowd, taking hesitant steps at first, within seconds he was sprinting. Meraya swallowed, struggling past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Thomas," she whispered softly as her feet began to move. Before she knew it she was running. Meraya practically jumped into Thomas' arms, face hiding in his neck as she pulled him as close as humanly possible.

The tears she had been holding back spilled forth, hot against her cold cheeks. "Thomas..." she choked out. Thomas hushed her, fingers combing through her hair, his own face buried in her neck as well. "I missed you so much." he whispered softly, his lips ghosting across the soft skin of her neck.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, and Meraya didn't care. He was back, and safe, and in her arms. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you here me." Thomas rasped out, pulling back just enough to see her face. Meraya let out a laugh, nodding feverishly as she wiped her tears. "Promise." she smiled a heart stopping smile. Thomas sighed, mirroring the joy on her face. His eyes flickered to her lips and then back at her eyes. Meraya watched his eyes fall to her lips and she felt butterflies erupt inside. Thomas' gaze fell to her lips once more as he inched forwards slowly.

"So these your friends Raya?" Jorge's voice cut in, a lot closer than either Thomas or Meraya had anticipated. The two jumped apart to find Jorge between them, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. Meraya cleared her throat awkwardly glancing at Thomas. "Eer, uh, yessir. Yeah they're my friends." she stumbled over her words, face heating up to an impossible degree. Jorge smirked before turning to Thomas with a stern gaze. "Well, I suppose you can have your time...since you're Raya's friends, I'll allow for the full ten minutes." Jorge said. He nodded towards the hall Meraya had stepped out of. "Follow me," he said sternly. Thomas swallowed nervously and nodded. As he passed Meraya, he gave a reassuring smile, planting a quick kiss to her cheek.

Meraya looked down at her feet smiling softly to herself. "Oi, you ferget about us over here?!" Newt's voice called out. Meraya's head snapped up, finding her friend and a whole new smile shone on her face. "Newt!" she ran forwards, jumping into his arms. "Oh now you remember me," Newt chuckled holding his friend in his arms. "Thank god you guys are alright." Meraya sighed as she took a step back, holding Newt at arms length, checking him over. He seemed okay, a few scratches here and there, but he was overall healthy.

* * *

Jorge sat silently, listening to what Thomas and his friends had gone through. His face was blank, unreadable. When Thomas finished, he waited anxiously for Jorge's verdict. He needed the man's help to get out of the Scorch with all of these cranks running around.

"Alright," Jorge said after a long pause. Thomas stared, gaping like a fish before excitement took over, a smile breaking out over his face. "But," Jorge said, holding a hand up, Thomas' smile faltering. "You take Brenda and I to this so called safe haven...and we want the cure as well." Thomas swallowed, thinking it over. He didn't trust WICKED or their promises but he needed Jorge. "Okay, we'll take you." Thomas agreed with a curt nod. A snake-like smile broke out over Jorge's face as they men stood. Thomas headed for the door, eager to get back to Meraya. He felt like if he was gone too long, she would disappear again. "Oh, Thomas," Jorge called. Thomas turned, curious. "If you hurt Raya in any way, I won't hesitate to kill you." Jorge stated plainly before brushing past the teen and heading out towards the other gladers. Thomas swallowed thickly, knowing full well that Jorge wasn't joking, nor was he exaggerating whatsoever. He really would kill him. "Yessir," Thomas murmured before following him out.

* * *

Jorge led the gladers out of the compound to get them some proper food. Thomas made sure to stay by Meraya's side, slipping his hand into hers unnoticed. Meraya glanced up at Thomas as he intertwined his fingers with hers. A soft smile flickered before turning her face forward.

Newt watched the two, a small frown covering his face. He felt his stomach churn in an unpleasant way as he watched Thomas slip his hand into Meraya's. Newt heaved a sigh as the group was led down into a system of tunnels. Thankfully, wherever Brenda and Jorge were leading them wasn't very far.

Thomas pulled Meraya down next to him as he sat. He wasn't letting her out of his sight again. She curled up at his side as Brenda stepped through a nearby door. Inside was a stash of food they had collected from the closed down factories around the abandoned city. Cans of beans and vegetables were passed around the gladers, and soon the tunnels were filled with the sounds of the boys and Meraya guzzling down their food.

Meraya hummed in delight as she had her first bite of her canned beans. "These are so

good!" Meraya moaned with a mouthful of food. Thomas shot her a quick smile before taking his own bite of food. He had to agree, compared to what they had been eating, this was like a five star meal. Silence filled the tunnel they sat in, the only noises were the slurping of the cans of food.

Thomas finished his food with a satisfied sigh. He set the empty can down, taking Meraya's hand in his own. Meraya glanced down at their intertwined hands, then up at Thomas. Despite the poorly lit tunnel, she could see his brown eyes perfectly. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down on it lightly as she felt herself getting lost. Thomas' eyes flickered from Meraya's eyes to her lips, watch as she bit her bottom lip. He stifled a groan that bubbled up in his throat. Swallowing hard, Thoomas looked back at Meraya, glancing back down as she released her bottom lip, slightly red and wet. Thomas' tongue darted out, wetting his own. Thomas hadn't realized he was leaning in, until his nose brushed against Meraya's, his warm breath fanning across her face.

"So, what was it like out there in the scorch?" Brenda's voice shattered the moment between Meraya and Thomas, both teens darting away from each other with racing hearts. Meraya snatched her hand back, cradling it in her lap, staring down at her fingers, face heating up as Thomas looked towards Brenda, stumbling over his answer, "O-Oh it was uh, it was hot, ahem, yeah." Internally, Thomas cursed the girl from ruining his moment. He glanced back at Meraya, blushing as he realized what they were about to do, in front of everyone.

Meraya sat red-faced, glancing at Thomas every few seconds as he fumbled along his conversation with Brenda. She mentally cursed Brenda. Something told her that the interruption wasn't an accident. Rumbling pulled Meraya from her angry thoughts. Seconds later, the floor began to shake. Meraya scrambled to her feet, looking up towards the cieling just as the first boulders began to fall. "Oh shit." Meraya mumbled, frozen in place as she watched a rock fall, almost like it was in slow motion, towards her.

A hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist and tugging her backwards. Meraya jerked, and fell on top of her saviour with a soft _oomph!_ Meraya looked up, finding Newt, whose eyes bore into hers with an intensity she'd never seen before. "Thanks Newt," Meraya whispered. The Brit nodded with a soft smile. "Anytime love." Meraya flashed a good natured smile before standing, helping her friend to her feet as well.

When Meraya turned around, she felt her heart plumet to the ground. Before her stood an unmoving wall of rubble, on the other side were Thomas and Brenda. Despair crashed on to Meraya and the other gladers as they stared not knowing what to do. "Thomas." Meraya whimpered. She had just found him again and now this. "Thomas!" Meraya shouted, shooting towards the wall, slamming her fists against the rocks. Newt frowend walking towards Meraya slowly, gently wrapping his hands around her wrists, stopping her from breaking her hands against the rocks. "He'll be okay." He whispered. Meraya sniffled softly, blinking away the tears that begged to fall. "Thomas..."

* * *

Thomas stared at the rubble, a hole forming in his chest. Brenda tugged on his wrist but he didn't move, not at first. The image of Meraya staring straight up as rocks began to fall flooded his mind. He saw her pulled away at the last second, right before he could get to her and now she was trapped on the other side. "Thomas!" He perked up at his name being called. It was from the other side of the rocks but the voice was unmistakeable. She was okay.

Relief flooded Thomas' system as he rushed towards the rocks. "Meraya!" He called out, trying to find a way through the rocks. "Meraya, it'll be okay! I promise!" Thomas called out, hands pressed against the rocks, hoping she could hear him on the other side. Brenda stood behind him, a frown etched into her features. She grabbed Thomas' wrist, tugging once again. "We have to move. Jorge will get them out. Come on." She urged, tugging one final time. Thomas glanced back at Brenda, giving the rocks one lingering glance at the rock wall. _I love you..._

* * *

 _I love you..._ Meraya froze, eyes wide, as Thomas' voice echoed in her mind. Her heart skipped a beat as her breath caught in her throat. Newt was dragging her away from the rocks as Jorge led them towards a way out. Meraya stumbled over her feet as her heart restarted, beating a mile a minute. She couldn't stop the smile that graced her face. She knew Thomas hadn't meant for her to hear that, or perhaps he didn't even know he had sent it to her. Either way, she had heard.

Meraya righted herself, nibbling on her lower lip with a new found inspiration. Her only focus now was on getting out of these stupid tunnels and finding Thomas again. She had to tell him she felt the same.


	10. Chapter 10

Meraya slunk closer to Newt, never having been very fond of the dark. Their hands found each other and a small wave of comfort washed over her. Jorge was at the front of their group, easily navigating the dark tunnels. The further they got from the food stash, the more rank the tunnels got. Meraya could hear the ominous drip of a leaky pipe. It smelled of something rotten and moldy. Meraya couldn't wait to get out of the tunnels.

Her prayers were granted not ten minutes later when a faint dot of light shone from deep within the tunnels. Once they got closer it was apparent that there were ascending stairs and soon they were free from the dank tunnels. Meraya took a deep breath, taking in the semi-cleaner air of the city.

* * *

Thomas and Brenda trekked through the tunnels in silence at first. The only sound was of their footsteps slapping against concrete. "So..." Brenda's voice echoed through the concrete halls, making the duo wince. "Uh, you and Raya?" Brenda whispered softly this time. Thomas glanced at Brenda, curious as to why she cared about it. "Why do you call Meraya Raya?" Thomas asked instead of answering. Brenda frowned knowing he was dodging her question, but wouldn't let it go that easily. "You first," she countered. Thomas sighed, pausing in his steps, "I...I uh, I guess that I love her." Thomas confessed softly His eyes were downcast as he fiddled with his fingers. Brenda nodded, satisfied with the answer. "We call her Raya 'cus when its close to riot. Meraya kept causing one every time she tried to escape after we found her." Brenda explained with a slight air of fondness hinting at her voice. Thomas nodded and the conversation dropped off into silence once again.

Soon the duo found themselves at a junction. There were five tunnels leading to places unknown. Brenda stood, hands on hips and brows furrowed. Thomas felt uneasy as they stood there. There were too many openings for cranks to appear and that didn't sit right with Thomas. "Which way?" Thomas asked, fighting hard to keep the quiver from his voice. Brenda shot him a look that told him to, quite effectively, 'shut up.'

Thomas stifled a groan as he turned in a small circle. He eyed each entryway as his stomach twisted painfully with apprehension. The shattering of glass made the duo jump and their hearts race. Brenda made eye contact with Thomas, worry written on both of their faces "Probably just a rat," Brenda murmured. It was a weak lie, but it soothed their frayed nerves. That is, until they heard it again...and again...and again. One after another, glass bulbs could be heard shattering, each one closer than the last.

Brenda and Thomas turned towards the tunnel they had came from as the noises crept closer. Not long after a figure appeared. Brenda shifted closer to Thomas, grabbing his hand for comfort. "Rose took my nose!" A voice cackled in the dark, just out of sight, "Rose took my nose I suppose!" Hysterical laughter followed as the being stepped forwards into the light. It was a man dressed in a dirty, tattered suit and tie. His face was decaying, bits of flesh falling off, leaving red, raw muscle in its wake. The most disturbing detail was that his nose was completely gone. Thomas felt bile rise in his throat as he took in the man's visage.

"Such a pretty nose!" a new voice, feminine, echoed from behind the man. A woman appeared next. She too was missing her nose, eyes wide and crazed. She had patches of hair missing from her scalp and the suit she wore was also stained and torn.

"Run," Brenda whispered so only Thomas could hear. One by one, more and more cranks appeared from the tunnel Thomas and Brenda has just came from. They must have been following them since the cave in, waiting for the perfect time to pounce. "On three, run." Brenda whispered, as she kept her eyes trained on the cranks in front of them. "One," Brenda spoke barely audible, taking a small step back. "Two..." the cranks swayed back and forth where they stood, crazed eyes focused on the teens. "Three!" Brenda and Thomas turned on their heels, darting into the first tunnel entrance they saw. "I WANT YOUR NOSE!" the male's voice screeched, voice pounding off the stone walls.

Brenda ran full speed, leading Thomas through the tunnels. They made many turns in the labyrinth of passageways. The entire time Thomas heard the echoed screeches of the cranks chasing them. His lungs burned from the exertion of running top speed. His muscles begged for him to slow but he pushed further "Here!" Brenda gasped, tugging Thomas into an empty room. Thomas doubled over, hands on his knees as he gulped in air to soothe his burning lungs.

The room they entered was barren, save for a lone table against the far wall and a chair in the corner. brenda dropped to her knees, crawling beneath the table. Thomas glanced over his shoulder, the cranks were getting closer. "C'mon!" Brenda hissed. Thomas knelt, following Brenda. There was a hole in the wall, unseen unless you crouched down. Brenda and Thomas squeezed inside, barely fitting. Thomas faced the wall, lying on his side, with Brenda pressed between him and the back wall. The only sound was his blood pounding in his ears, struggling to control his erratic breathing.

The sound of cranks got closer and closer. Thomas held a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound of his breathing. Just as fast as they came, the cranks continued down the hall, too crazed to coherently think about checking any rooms. Thomas breathed out a sigh of relief as he heard the screeches disspating deeper into the tunnels. Thomas glanced back at Brenda with a relieved smile. As they shifted towards the exit they heard the creaking of the door opening and froze. Thomas' heart lept into his throat as he heard footsteps shuffle into the room. "Pretty nose, where are you!" the woman's voice cooed, followed by crazed giggled. Brenda swallowed thickly, clutching to Thomas out of fear. "They ain't in here!" an unknown male voice grumbled irritated. Thomas winced as they heard a thump, possibly the crank hitting or kicking something. "They're in here, I know it." the male that had first appeared spoke. "Pretty pretty nose! Come out, come out wherever you are!" the woman cooed again. When no answer came she huffed, "They're not here! I'm leaving!" Thomas could hear the door open and close once more, leaving the original crank, his breathing the only sound in the room.

"I know you're in here, nose," his voice was low and menacing. "Come out, come out," he chuckled darkly. "Gotcha!" Thomas felt a hand latch onto his ankle and yank. Thomas yelled out in fear as his body was dragged out of the hiding place by the cranks incredible strength. "You're mine now nose!" the crank cackled, hands clamping over Thomas' throat. Thomas gasped, hands tugging at the one's over his throat. Thomas kicked his feet, fighting hard to throw this crank off. The crank drew a blade from his back pocket, nearing Thomas with it.

Brenda scrambled out of the hole, searching quickly for something to fight with. Grabbing the chair from the corner, she wacked it over the back of the cranks head. He toppled over, knife skidding across the floor. "Grab the knife Thomas!" Brenda yelled as she jumped on top of the crank. He struggled beneath her. It took all of Brenda's strength to keep him down. He screamed and writhed and thrashed below her. "Thomas!" that shot him into action as he scrambled towards the knife. He clutched it in his shaking hands, crawling back over to the crank. "You have to do it Thomas." Brenda said, motioning towards the crank. "I can't hold him much longer." Thomas nodded, holding the blade in his hand. He lifted it above his head and paused. He stared down at the animal like man, chewing his lower lip. "Thomas do it!" Brenda cried out, beginning to lose her fight with the crank. Thomas glanced between her and the man, blade raise. "Do it for Meraya!" Brenda cried as a last ditch effort. Thomas swung his arm down, sinking the blade into the cranks chest. He struggled for a few more seconds, gurgling as blood bubbled out of the corner of his mouth before going limp. His eyes lost their light, glazing over as they stared, lifelessly, up at the ceiling.

Thomas stared down at the body in horror. He had just killed a man. He held his hands up, seeing they were covered in the man's blood and scrambled towards the corner, emptying the contents of his stomach in the small room. Brenda watched with a small, sympathetic frown. "We need to go," Brenda whispered softly, "There's no way that they didn't hear that." Thomas nodded, wiping his mouth and stumbling towards the door. The two checked to see if the coast was clear before heading out. It didn't take long for them to find the exit after that, thankfully.

Thomas half expected to see the gladers and Meraya's shining smile at the exit of the tunnels. He was disappointed to find them nowhere in sight, worry beginning to find home in his mind. "I'm sure Jorge got them out. He's a fighter and knows those tunnels like he made them," Brenda tried her hand at cheering Thomas up. It worked, if only a little. The two began to walk towards the edge of the city. Jorge knew the plan, to get to the safe haven. If and when they got out, he would have kept going and taken the rest of the group out of the city where it was slightly safer to wait than in the city.

By the time the sun began to set, Thomas and Brenda were a quarter mile from the edge of the city. Brenda found an abandoned truck in a back alleyway. She motioned Thomas to hop inside the cab. It was as safe a place as any to spend the night. Thomas sank into the plush cushion of the driver's seat, reclining it back into a laying position. He folded his hands behind his head, looking up at the roof. "You're worried about her aren't you?" Brenda whispered. Thomas looked at her from the corner of his eye before turning on his side. "Yeah. I don't know why but she just...she just means the world to me." Thomas murmured. He didn't know why he was confessing all of these things to a girl he barely knew when he couldn't even say it to Meraya's face. "Well if her reaction to finding you alive today was any indication, I'd say you mean the world to her too," Brenda offered with a soft smile. "You think?" Thomas asked shyly, voice filled with hope. Brenda giggled, nodding. "Yeah I do. You're a catch," she said with a strange glint in her eyes that Thomas couldn't place. He didn't answer after that, nodding silently and rolling on to his back. Seconds later, he was fast asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Brenda stayed awake for another hour or so. The peacefulness on Thomas' face was just so captivating. Brenda resisted the urge to brush her knuckles against his soft cheek. It was so tempting though. Not long after, Brenda found herself feeling the effects of sleep. Her eyes drooped and within minutes she was fast asleep.

* * *

Meraya sat at the window of an abandoned building Jorge had found. She watched the empty streets, hoping for any sign of Thomas or Brenda. They had spent half the day searching without any luck. As the sun began to go down, Jorge had to call it quits for their safety much to Meraya's dismay.

Newt sighed and moved to sit next to Meraya. Everyone else had wondered deeper within the building to find a suitable area to sleep for the night. Next wrapped an arm around Meraya's slumped shoulders. "He's okay Meraya." Newt whispered. "I know I just..." Meraya sighed, leaning into Newt's form. "Worry," Newt finished with a half smile. "It's okay to worry." He reassured. Meraya nodded, snuggling into the warmth of Newt's body. "I'm here for you you know." Newt said softly. Meraya lifted her face, watching Newt's face. "You know that right? No matter what you can trust me. I will always be there for you." Meraya found herself speechless when she looked into his eyes. For the first time she was noticing a new glint in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but when nothing came out, she shut it. Newt's eyes glanced from Meraya's eyes to her lips and back again. He chewed his lower lip, eyebrows furrowing as he worked over his choices in his mind. Meraya studied his face, stomach erupting into butterflies. She knew that look and as Newt's face neared hers, the butterflies turned to panic. "Newt I..." Meraya mumbled, Newt's lips centimeters away. "Just...once," Newt whispered and his voice just sounded so desperate Meraya couldn't find it in her to deny her friend this one thing. His lips touched hers gently. It was so different from Thomas' desperate, hungry ones. Meraya could feel the fear behind Newt's kiss and found herself kissing back. The longer it lasted, the more confident Newt began, leaning deeper into the kiss.

Newt pulled away slowly, eyes closed and the faintest of smiles playing at his lips. Meraya blinked rapidly, turning away, and thinking over what she just did. "Newt I..." Meraya started again, gently pulling his arm from her shoulders. Newt seemed to be knocked out of his trance by Meraya's voice. "I love him," Meraya blurted out, biting her lower lip fearing her friends reaction. Newt looked into Meraya's eyes and knew she was telling the truth. Meraya shook her head and stood, intending on leaving. "Meraya wait!" Newt said, grabbing her wrist. He stood and turned her around to face him. "It's okay," he said. "I knew you liked him I just," Newt sighed and hung his head, "I just love you so much and I know you don't feel the same but I will always be by your side," Newt said, rushing out the words as fast as he could so that she wouldn't run from him. Meraya took a deep breath, watching Newt seriously. "Okay," she said, letting out the breath she held. Newt breathed a sigh of relief, pulling Meraya into a tight hug. "Thank god." He breathed. Meraya hugged back, patting Newt's back.

* * *

Thomas awoke the next morning to Brenda's soft snores. He glanced to his side, seeing her sleeping face. He sat up, stretching his sore muscles. Curiousity getting the best of him, Thomas slipped out of the cabin of the truck and into the alleyway.

A plaque caught his eye. Compared to the bleached brick of the buildings, the dusty metallic stood out in the early morning light. Furrowing his brow, Thomas stepped forwards, wiping the dust from the plaque. He gasped when he read what the sign said. In bold letters the words:

 _World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiement Department_

 _THOMAS IS THE LEADER_

Thomas swallowed thickly shaking his head. He didn't understand this. Minho was the leader, his tattoo said so. He knew that this was some kind of trick from WICKD. It was all about the variables. That's what RatMan had said at least. Could Thomas really trust what he said either? Most likely not, he was from WICKED afterall.

"Those are up all around the city," Brenda's voice shocked Thomas. He spun around to face her. "Why didn't you tell me?!" Thomas asked still in shock from what he had read. "I didn't know how," Brenda sighed, placing a calming hand on Thomas' arm. Thomas heaved a sigh, turning back towards the sign above them. He couldn't be the leader. It just couldn't be true. Thomas didn't want to be true.

"So you're Thomas huh," a gruff voice said from behind the pair. Brenda and Thomas turned around to be met with a trio. One was a woman, the other two male. "Seen them signs up since I came to this damned place," one man spoke. He was squat but muscular with blonde hair. He smiled, showing some missing teeth. "Invite 'em to our party!" The girl piped up, bouncing and clapping her hands. The squat man smiled again, although there was a sinister air about it. "Yeah why doncha two lovely kids come to our party, eh?"

"We're okay," Brenda said, face guarded. Thomas eyed the trio, he had a bad feeling about them. "You don't deny our parties," the third member said with a warning voice. He brought out a tire iron from behind his back. It was rusted but still dangerous. Thomas frowned, stepping slightly in front of Brenda. "We really should be going," he said in a strong tone. "You. Dont. Deny. Our. Parties," the third man said again. The first male pulled out an old rusted hand gun and Thomas backed down. He grabbed Brenda's hand for safety. "Okay," He said, nudging her behind him. "Yay!" the girl said excitedly.

Brenda and Thomas were escorted to the end of the alley. There was a door, old and rusty as everything else in the town was. The woman knocked and was greeted by a bouncer. She whispered something in his ear and the door opened. Inside music played loudly and bodies writhed on the dance floor. It smelled of alcohol and sweat as those condemned with the Flare lived out their last days of sanity under the uninhibited influence of alcohol. Brenda and Thomas were pushed into the middle of the dance floor and handed a strange drink. It smelled a lot like the drink Gally would make in the glade, but this time Thomas was hesitant to drink it. When blondie waved his gun, Thomas took two large gulps of it, Brenda following suit.

Their captors dispersed into the crowd, leaving the two teens alone. Brenda wrapped her arms around Thomas' neck, a drunken smile on her lips. Thomas furrowed his brows as things began to swim. Colors mixed and sounds distorted in strange ways. He felt nauseous as he looked around so he focused on Brenda's face, the only still thing in the room. "I think...I think they drugged us," he said, voice swallowed by the loud music. "Shhhh, let's just have fun Thomas! Let's stay here forever, just you and me." Brenda said, resting her head on his shoulder. Thomas frowned, he didn't like that at all. He didn't want to stay here, at least, not with Brenda. "Brenda..no I..." "Shhhhh," Brenda said lifting her head. "It's just me and you."

Thomas sighed, choosing to stay quiet. He didn't have it in him to fight with her. Not now. The music buzzed in Thomas' ears, giving his body a strange tingling. He stared at Brenda and realized her face was getting closer. His brain was fogged by whatever the man had made him drink but he knew he didn't want this. He didn't want her. Brenda's lips were millimeters away when he spoke, "You're not her," he whispered softly. Brenda pulled back, pain and betrayal in her eyes. Thomas unwrapped his arms from her body but couldn't find it in himself to feel bad. He simply didn't want her.

Brenda's face twisted in anger and pain as she slipped through the crowd of people. Thomas called out to her, not wanting her to get lost, but he couldn't find her. The fog in his mind was too great that he almost didn't notice the large form slinking towards him through the crowd. By the time Thomas could make out that it was one of men from the trio that had forced them inside, he felt a hard whack to the back of the head and everything went black.

* * *

Meraya woke up the next day groggy. The memories from the night before came flooding back into her mind. "Jeez," Meraya murmured, scrubbing her fingers through her hair as she sat up. "I'm an idiot," Meraya spoke softly to herself as she let her hands fall to her sides, shaking her head lightly. "Why're you an idiot?" Minho's voice called out as he appeared in the doorway. His large muscular build blocked nearly the whole doorway as he leaned against the crumbling frame with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow. "No reason," Meraya spoke slowly as she got up from her sleeping place on the floor. Minho's smirk grew wider and he nodded, "Yeah okay." Meraya frowned at his playful tone. He knew something was up and that made Meraya uncomfortable. She knew Newt wouldn't have gone around blabbing about their little kiss the night before. "What do you know?" Meraya asked, arms crossed over her chest. Minho chuckled to himself, sending her a knowing look. "I may or may not have walked in last night and saw something," he chuckled as the duo walked towards the common area the others had huddled.

Mearya heaved a sighed and stopped Minho, pulling him off to the side. "Listen, Minho, don't tell anyone. Me and Newt aren't together okay. I don't know why I let him kiss me but I don't like him like that. He's handling it pretty well and I don't want all the gladers running their mouths about it and upsetting him," Meraya said sincerely, hope brimming in her eyes that he would keep this a secret. Minho frowned, dissapointed that Newt and Meraya weren't getting together. It had been common knowledge around the glade that the British boy had a thing for the only female there, that is until Thomas showed up. Minho's eyes went wide at the realization. "Thomas," he murmured softly. "What?" Meraya asked having not heard him well. "It's Thomas isn't it!" Minho whispered yelled. Meraya frantically hushed the taller boy, covering his mouth with her hand. "Will you be quiet!" she hissed, eyes searching their surroundings making sure no one had heard. Minho removed Mearya's small hand from his mouth, rolling his eyes. "Its not like Thomas is gonna hear it," Minho snipped. Meraya blushed and shoved past Minho. "Just keep that big mouth shut okay!" she called as she walked away. "Only if you shut it for me!" Minho teased back, earning a glare from the girl.

* * *

Thomas groaned as his eyes fluttered open. His head pounded painfully, most likely from the drink and whatever he had been hit with. His vision cleared slowly, revealing the two men and one woman that had forced them insde the party. Thomas frowned, moving to get up only to find out that he had been tied down to a creaky wooden chair. Blondie was sitting in front of Thomas on a backwards facing chair, arms resting on the back. His gun hung loosely from his fingertips as the man watched the teen wake in front of him. "Wakey, Wakey," he chuckled. Thomas frowned, looking around the room. He spotted Brenda in the corner in a similar state of being tied up. Her mouth was covered by a short piece of duckedtape as she sat back, head resting on the wall behind her. Anger flashed in her eyes as they made contact with Thomas', and looked away.

"So, you're the one all them shiny metal signs are about aintcha," Blondie snarled. Thomas chewed the inside of his cheek, not sure on how to answer this. "Aintcha!" Blondie snapped. Thomas nodded quickly, fearing the man with the gun. "Ight then, leader, where's your friends? Can't be the leader of nothin' can ya?" a taller man behind Blondie spoke. Thomas recognized him as the one who had knocked him out. His voice was softer but somehow more menacing than Blondie's brash and rough one. Thomas opened his mouth only to be silenced by comotion coming from above them. Blondie let out an unamused snarl and stood from the chair. "Don't move," he commanded, chuckling at his own joke. His laughter sounded like rocks being rubbed together deep in his throat, wholly unpleasant.

Thomas watched the trio leave, the door closing behind them. He could hear their footsteps above them and some shouting. He writhed in his chair, trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists. He jumped and pulled and twisted in his restraints but to no avail. Thomas panted softly from the strain, glancing at the door when footsteps pounded back down the stairs. Thomas froze as the door creaked open, waiting with bated breath. He heaved a sigh of relief when Minho appeared, smirk plastered on his face. "I see you two are tied up here," Minho chucked to himself. Brenda rolled her eyes, grunting to get the asian boy's attention. Minho smirked to himself, walking over and freeing her first. He made his way over to Thomas, freeing him easily. "She's up there, and totally kicked some major ass," Minho said with a proud fatherly tone. Thomas glanced at his friend before bolting up the stairs.

Thomas' eyes searched the room, barely registered the incapacitated bodies that littered the floor. The only thing he cared about was her. He spotted Meraya with her foot on a man's back. He recognized it as the man who knocked him out. A swell of pride filled his chest as he jogged over to her.

* * *

Meraya looked up as someone approached. A smile flashed across her face as she saw Thomas, stepping on to her victims back and crossing the room quickly. She sighed in contentment, feeling Thomas' arms wrap around her frame, his face buried in her neck. Brenda scoffed to herself, rolling her eyes at the sight and joining Jorge in by the door. The other gladers watched with small smiles. It was good to be reunited again. Newt came over, giving Thomas a hearty slap on the back. "Glad to have ya back mate," the smile he gave was genuine, something Meraya was thankful for. She wouldn't be able to get over the guilt if he looked upset. Thomas reluctantly unwrapped himself from Meraya, giving Newt a smile back. "Good to be back," he stated, intertwining his fingers with Meraya's.

Thomas glanced around, looking for the man with the gun. His brow furrowed when he didn't see him. "Did you guys see a short guy with blonde hair by any chance?" Thomas asked Minho as they began filing out of the bar. Minho frowned, face scruching up in concentration as he thought back. "Nah, don't remember seein' nobody like that," Minho said as they stepped out into the sunlight. Thomas blinked rapidly, holding a hand up to cover his eyes from the light. Meraya hissed as her eyes dilated back to adjust to the bright sunlight. "Why, who's this blonde guy?" she asked, looking up at Thomas. "No one he uh-"

"HEY!" a voice yelled out, capturing everyone's attention. Meraya turned to see a squat man with blonde hair and crazed eyes. They were trained on Thomas, but that wasn't what made her heart skip a beat. The crank had an old rusted hand gun, pointed at Thomas' chest in shaky hands. "NO ONE COMES IN HERE AND RUINS MY PARTY!" he screamed. All Meraya remembered was the loud bang of the gun and pushing Thomas as hard as she could. The initial impact of the bullet hadn't hurt at all. In fact, Meraya hadn't even known she was shot until Newt was picking her up off the ground, Thomas scrambling over to her side. Minho had tackled the gunman, raining an unending hail of punches on him.

Meraya choked, coughing weakly as blood splattered out, painting her lips a terrifying crimson. "No, no, no, no, no," Thomas murmured, cradling Meraya in his arms. "No this can't...she can't," he choked, eyes welling with tears. Meraya struggled to stay coherent. Thomas' voice came and went as her eyes fluttered with the effort to stay awake. "Meraya, baby, stay with me okay. You can't leave me here, not now," Thomas choked out, smoothing down her frizzy curls, hands shaking. Jorge pushed to the front of the crowd that had formed around the girl, Brenda following him closely. Newt stared down at the two, mouth gaping, unable to process that his best friend was dying in front of him.

"What happened?" Jorge said in a grave tone. "She...She uh, she saved him," Newt stuttered, wide eyes turning to Jorge. The older man grimaced as he knelt next to Thomas, gently reaching for Meraya's body. "NO!" Thomas yelled, tightening his grip and pulling her closer to his body. Newt gulped, placing a soothing hand on Thomas' shoulder, "Let him help Tommy, maybe he can save her." he spoke gently. Thomas looked down at Meraya, reluctantly handing her limp body over to Jorge. Meraya gasped, eyes screwing shut as the movement caused a wave of red hot pain to shoot through her body.

Jorge examined the wound, it was clean through so that was a bonus. "I need a match and something to wrap her stomach in," he said. "Now!" The gladers scrambled around, searching for what Jorge depicted. It only took a few minutes, but to Meraya they felt like agonizing hours. It was getting harder and harder to stay focused. She could feel Thomas' warm hands around hers but his face was just a round blob in her vision. "Stay with me, please," his voice floated into her ears but it sounded muddled and unclear. Her vision faded, her eyes fluttering closed. She was tired, she was so tired and something told her that if she gave in, the searing pain in her abdomen would finally go away.

Thomas squeezed Meraya's hand as he watched her eyes closed. "No, no, no, no baby, no. Open your eyes please, open them." Thomas whimpered, patting her cheek lightly. "Jorge do something!" Thomas growled. Jorge watched with sad eyes, he needed those matches. Minho slid onto the ground beside his friends, shoving a small packet of matches into Jorge's hands. Quickly, the older male ripped a stick from the matchbook, striking a spark and holding the flame over the bullet wound. "Sorry," he murmured before cauterizing Meraya's wound. A scream ripped from her throat, echoing among the empty alleyway. The boys winced at the horrid sound, watching as her eyes shot open, pupils dilated with pain. Meraya panted softly, eyes darting back and forth before they rolled back and she went limp. The only movement was her chest rising and falling slowly but surely.


End file.
